Evans pool to reopen after two-year closure

The city of Evans swimming pool will reopen this summer after a two-year closure, thanks to the Evans City Council’s decision to fund it.

An improved economic climate and increased revenue prompted council members to allocate about $40,000 per year for the swimming pool, which was subsidized by the city before the recession, Evans Mayor Lyle Achziger said.

“The pool certainly is a priority not only for recreation, but also as part of the picture of our overall economic health,” Achziger said. “We’re willing to make the necessary cuts when we have to, but we’re also very cognizant of fact that we have to provide those services to citizens.”

After the pool was pushed out of the city’s budget during the recession, a group of Evans residents last year formed the Pool Committee, searching for alternative forms of funding so they could reopen it. They came up with a campaign to sell 150 pool memberships to residents of Evans and surrounding communities.

The committee did not reach its goal, but with funding from the city, it can continue to sell memberships to add things such as a grill or chairs, said Jean Shoemaker, who jump-started the effort.

After the council decided to fund the pool, the committee dropped the price of a membership to $200 for a family of four to six, and $75 for a single person. Those without a membership will still have to pay a fee each time they visit the pool.

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“People seem really excited about it,” Shoemaker said of the pool’s reopening. “Now, we’re just trying to market it to make sure we get people there.”